Six Individuals Charged with Membership in Proscribed Kurdish Group

The Metropolitan Police have announced that six individuals have been charged with belonging to a proscribed terrorist organization. These individuals are specifically accused of being members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), an organization outlawed in the United Kingdom. Following arrests made across London in November, members of the Kurdish community engaged in confrontations with police. The PKK is identified as a Kurdish nationalist organization that has been in conflict with the Turkish state since the 1980s. It holds the designation of a terrorist organization in Turkey, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The individuals facing these charges are scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday. The Met Police also stated that a 31-year-old man, who had been arrested in connection with the investigation, was subsequently released without charge. Minor protests occurred after the November arrests. Demonstrators, some reportedly heard shouting “Free Kurdistan,” engaged in clashes with police outside the Kurdish Community Centre located in Haringey, north London. The Kurds constitute a Middle Eastern ethnic group whose population is distributed across south-eastern Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Armenia. They currently lack an independent state, which is a primary objective for Kurdish nationalist organizations such as the PKK. Acting Commander Helen Flanagan commented, “We fully recognise the concern and impact this investigation has had upon the local community.” She further stated that in instances where potential terrorist activity is suspected, “then we will look to investigate and take action to disrupt that.” Detective Chief Superintendent Caroline Haines affirmed, “We will continue to engage with Kurdish community members going forwards to keep them updated and address any concerns.”